Adjustable bearing



June 195l J. B. ARMITAGE ET AL 2, ,4

ADJUSTABLE BEARING Original Filed Aug. 1, 1942' INVENTOR an-m-W Bar/tar ATTORNEY Jose p12 dim/2 04a I Patented June 1 9, 1951 ADJUSTABLE BEARING Joseph B. Armitage, Wauwatosa, and Orrin W. Barker, Milwaukee, Wis., assignors to Kearney & Trecker Corporation, West Allis, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Original application August 1, 1942, Serial No.

453,228. Divided and this application November 8, 1945, Serial No. 627,364

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to improvements in bearings and more particularly to improved adjustable sleeve bearings for rigidly supporting a movable machine element.

The present application is a division of application, Serial No. 453,228, filed August 1, 1942, now abandoned, which, in turn, was a continuation-in-part of application Serial No. 220,648 filed July 22, 1938, that resulted in U. S. Patent No. 2,293,880 dated August 25, 1942.

A general object of the invention is to provide an improved adjustable sleeve bearing.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved bearing especially adapted to support a movable member rigidly in accurately predetermined position.

'Another object of the invention is to provide a novel resilient bearing sleeve, together with improved means for effecting radial adjustment of the sleeve.

Another object is to provide an improved arrangement for affording resiliency in an adjustable bearing sleeve.

. According to this invention, an adjustable sleeve bearing is constituted by a bearing block presenting a tapered socket, together with a resilient bearing sleeve of frusto-conical shape, complementary to and fitting within the socket. To afford resiliency, the sleeve is slotted longitudinally inward from its tapered edge with each longitudinal slot intersecting a circumferential slot, the latter being spaced at their ends to provide resilient necks. Means are provided for effecting axial adjustment of the sleeve Within the socket to cause deflection of the elements between the slots in establishing the desired inner diameter.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention, which will become apparent from the following description, may be achieved by means of the particular bearing structure that is depicted in and described in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view, partly in vertical longitudinal section, showing a milling machine spindle head and supporting column with a spindle quill slidably mounted in the head by means of adjustable sleeve bearings embodying the present invention; and V Fig. 2 is a view, in perspective, of one of the resilient bearing sleeves shown in Fig. 1.

The particular machine tool structure shown in Fig. 1, as exemplifying apparatus incorporating bearings constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, is the upper part of a milling machine of the bed type, although it is to beunderstood that the invention may be applied, with equal advantage, to any other machine.

The milling machine partially illustrated in the drawing is shown and described in full in the previously mentioned U. S. Patent No. 2,293,880.

Referring more specifically to Fig. 1, the portion of the milling machine there shown comprises a bed and upright structure II, constituting the supporting column for a vertically movable spindle supporting block or head I2 that is slidably mounted therein in a well known manner. The spindle head I2, in turn, carries a horizontally disposed cylindrical spindle quill or ram I3 within which is rotatably mounted a tool-carrying spindle I4. To provide for axial feeding movement of the spindle I4, the quill I3 is slidably mounted for longitudinal movement in the head I2 by means of a pair of adjustable sleeve bearings I5, which embody the present invention. Longitudinal feeding movement of the quill may be effected in the usual manner by means of a threaded feed screw I6, and power may be transmitted to rotate the spindle I4 by means of a splined shaft I1, without interfering with the sliding movement of the quill.

As appears in Fig. 1, the axially movable quill I3 passes through a bore 2! in the spindle block I2, the ends of which present flared or tapered conical sockets 22 for receiving the adjustable sleeve bearings I5; As best shown in Fig. 2, each adjustable bearing sleeve or bushing presents a frust-o-conical quill engaging portion 23, the outer surface of which is tapered complementary to, and fits within, the tapered socket 22 while the inner surface is cylindrical to engage the cylindrical sliding surface of the quill I3. At the base of the frusto-conical quill engaging portion, the sleeve I5 is provided with a flange or collar 24 arranged to fit within a counterbore 25 in the end of the quill receiving bore 2I.

In order that the bearing sleeve I5 may be adjusted radially into close engagement with the quil-l I3, the frusto-conical quill receiving portion thereof is provided with a plurality of longitudinally disposed slots 21 extending from the tapered edge thereof inwardly, the slots being angularly disposed about the sleeve, as shown in Fig. 2. At its inner end, each longitudinal slot 21 medially intersects a transverse arcuate slot 28 that extends circumferentially of the sleeve adjacent to the flange 24. The ends of the several circumferential slots 28 are spaced to provide, between them, narrow resilient necks 29, whereby rela- 6 tively large segmental bearing members or shoes 3| are freed for resilient radial deflection in effecting adjustment of the bearing.

As best shown in Fig. l, the outer tapered surface of each bearing sleeve I5 engages the corresponding tapered socket 22 in the end of the bore 2|, in such manner that inward axial movement of the sleeve results in contraction or radially inward deflection of the bearing shoes 31, causing their cylindrical inner surfaces to fit with and engage more closely the cylindrical outer surfac of the quill l3. For forcing the sleeve l5 into the socket 22, there are provided a plurality of retaining cap screws 33, which pass through axially disposed holes 34, equally spaced about the flange 24 of the sleeve IS, the cap screws having threaded engagement with suitable tapped openings in the bottom of the counterbore 25 in the spindle block I2.

In order to provide for adjusting the engagement of the sleeve 5 with the quill 13 to effect the desired sliding relationship th-erebetween, shims 35 are interposed between the flange 24 of the sleeve and the bottom of the counterbore 25 for positioning the sleeve axially by limiting its inward adjusting movement. By adjusting the total thickness of the shims 35, in a well known manner, the distance which the sleeve l5 may be moved into the tapered socket 22 by the cap screws 33 and the resulting degree of engagement betweenthe resilient sleeve-and the quill [3 may be regulated precisely.

The two bearing sleeves at the respective ends of the bore 2| in the head I2 may be adjusted individually in the manner described, from time to time, to take up any wear which may occur between the sleeves and the quill.

From the foregoing explanation of the con- 'struction and operation of the improved adjustable sleeve bearing provided by the present invention, it may be readily appreciated that the improved bearing provides means for effecting and readily maintaining any desired degree of bearing engagement with a movable member, suchas a machine tool quill, in order to support it and a tool spindle carried by it in rigid accurate alignment with other elements of a machine tool.

Although the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing are directed to a particular embodiment of the invention in an improved sleeve bearingfor rigidly and accurately carrying a slidable quill or ram of a machine tool, it is to be understood thatthe particular structure set forth is intended only to be illustrative of one operative embodiment of the invention, it being contemplated that the bearing may be incorporated in-other structural forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as deflnedin the subjoined claims.

The principles of the invention having now been fullyexplained in connection with the foregoing description of an illustrative embodying structure, we hereby claim as our invention:

fl. An adjustable sleeve bearing comprising a supporting structure presenting a tapered bearing sleeve receiving bore, a cooperating bearing sleeve of frusto-conical shape presenting an external tapered surface adapted to be received within said tapered bore and a cylindrical internal surface adapted to cooperate with a relativelymovable journal, said sleeve being attached at its base to a radially extending flange by in- .teg-ral resilient necks disposed between the ends of a plurality of circumferential kerfs between said sleeve and said flange, said sleeve being divided into radially deflectable segments by 1ongitudinal kerfs extending from the middle of each circumferential kerf to the tapered end of said sleeve, and clamping means arranged to engage said flange and said supporting structure in manner to force said frusto-conical sleeve into said tapered bore, the arrangement being such that as said sleeve is forced into said bore its deflectable segments contract into engagement with the cooperating journal.

2. Inan improved sleeve bearing, a supporting frame presenting a tapered bearing receiving bore, a bearing adapted to fit in said bore including an annular flange arranged to be clamped to said frame and having extending therefrom a coaxial frusto-conical sleeve presenting a tapered outer surface adapted to be received in said tapered bore and a cylindrical inner surface adapted to receive a cooperating journal, said sleeve being attached to said flange by narrow resilient necks defined by the ends of a plurality of circumferential kerfs between said flange and said sleeve and being divided into radially resilient segments by longitudinal kerfs extending from the midpoints of said circumferential kerfs to the tapered end of said sleeve, clamping means arranged to clamp said annular flange to said frame, and adjustable shims disposed between said flange and said frame, the arrangement being such that when said frusto-conical sleeve is forced into said tapered bore by action of said clamping means said resilient segments deflect into engagement with a cooperating journal the degree of engagement being adjustable by adjusting the thickness of said shims between said flange andsaid frame.

3. An improved bearing adapted to be received in a tapered bore and presenting a cylindrical internal journal receiving surface, said bearing comprising an annular flange and an integral frusto-conical sleeve extending coaxially from said flange as a base with its inner surface adapted to receive a cylindrical journal and its outer surface adapted to enter a tapered bore, said sleeve being divided into radially deflectable segments by a plurality of longitudinal slots extending from said flange to the tapered end of said sleeve and intersecting circumferential slots between said flange and said sleeve segments which extend equal distances in opposite directions from said longitudinal slots leaving resilient necks between the ends thereof constituting connecting members between said flange and said sleeve segments, the arrangement being such that when said frusto-conical sleeve is forced into a complementary tapered bore by pressure on said flange said sleeve segments are deflected radially inward to engage the inner cylindrical surfaces thereof with adjusted equalized bearing pressure upon a cooperating journal.

JOSEPH B. ARMITAGE.

ORRIN W. BARKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,988,520 Sinclair Jan. 22, 1935 2,034,221 Armitage Mar. 17, 1936 

